ISSUE FOCUS 40 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE May 2022 the studies carried out in recent years, special structures such as phycocyanin and polysaccharide in the content of algae attract attention. In addition to its growth and immune effects, it has been reported that algae also have productivity-enhancing properties in animal products such as meat, milk and eggs in the field of livestock. In addition, the use of algae in the fields of animal feed utilization and fertility improvement has also been demonstrated by studies. Industrial algae are the main source of DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid. Living organisms (humans, animals, etc.) cannot synthesize these fatty acids in their bodies and they must be taken with diet. DHA is the most important fatty acid necessary for the development of the brain and retina, the need for this fatty acid is quite high, especially in the early stages of development. THE CONTRIBUTION OF ALGAE TO SUSTAINABLE ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND THE ENVIRONMENT Algae are one of the most important producers of the food chain. It seems possible for algae to be an important source in meeting the nutritional needs in the future, due to the fact that they can increase their weight 2-3 times in a day, their production is easy and economical, and there are no side effects. Metabolites such as fat and fatty acids, protein, carbohydrates (sugars), pigments, minerals, vitamins, sterols, antioxidants and bioactive polyphenols can be produced from algae, which show a very rapid increase in biomass due to their division and proliferation. ¾ of the world's fishmeal and fish oil is produced from pelagic species (anchovy, sardines, mackerel herring, etc.) obtained by fishing from the open seas. In order to ensure the sustainability of natural stocks, careful fisheries management such as seasonal quota determination and controlled fishing is implemented by the governments of the relevant countries. However, these implementations are insufficient and resources are rapidly depleted. 1 ton of microalgae is equivalent to 40 tons of wild sea fish. Ruminants play a very important role in the food chain as they can utilize cellulose and non-protein nitrogenous compounds (PON) that other livestock and humans can partially digest or not digest at all. But ruminants also have some disadvantages. Methane, a greenhouse gas that is formed as a natural result of ruminal digestion in these animals, is both an economic and an ecological problem. Recent studies have shown that cows fed algae reduce their gas emissions by 70%. PRODUCTION OF MICROALGAE IN THE WORLD Microalgae have found the most application area as fertilizer in the Far East, and this is the oldest known area of use. There were such practices in the 12th century in countries with wide coasts such as France, Ireland and England. In recent years, America has been leading the studies on microalgae production. According to the microalgae production share of the countries in 2009, the United States of America is the leader in the sector with 47%. Most of the microalgae produced by the USA is used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. China ranks second with 21% algae production and uses all of the microalgae it produces in the food industry. Australia and New Zealand follow China with 14%. New Zealand, on the other hand, is the most efficient country using microalgae in terms of obtaining microalgae-based biofuels. These countries are followed by the European Union countries with 10%, Argentina with 6%, and Brazil with 2%. Algae are considered to be feed additives thanks to the valuable fatty acids and antioxidant compounds they contain. Thanks to high omega-3 levels, algae are
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNjkxNQ==